


Differences

by blake17



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), USS Kelvin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 17:25:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1436617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blake17/pseuds/blake17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones would never know the extent of how the Kelvin incident caused by Nero altered how his, Jim's, and so many others lives were to turn out. He was about to find out just how things were different, others the same, yet be wholly grateful for the outcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

* * *

In retrospect, their entire relationship is based on the first time they met, and in this life they might have never even known each other's names. If Len was being honest with himself, he couldn't imagine a world where him and Jim didn't know one another.

It bothered McCoy sometimes that in a different timeline he lived a whole other lifetime and, though Jim answered most of the questions if he asked them, he knew nearly nothing about the other... well, the other him. Jim had mind-melded with the other version if Spock but he could only recall so much and Len sure as hell wasn't going to ask the Vulcan questions. His knowledge of how he lived in a world where Jim Kirk wasn't such an immature infant that actually finished going to the academy and wasn't handed a starship right out of the gate was basically nonexistent. There had been a world where he married a woman named Jocelyn instead of Pamela but was still divorced in the end. There was a world where he hadn't met Jim until 2265 nearly 10 years after they became friends in this one.

It was amazing, though morbid, that the change of one detail in all of the universe was altered, the destruction of one starship, and, as a result, possibly thousands maybe millions, who knew, of lives now had swerved off their original path yet in the results, managed to keep so many details the same. Len knew though, that if the story was to be told correctly, you'd have to go back to the beginning, to the Kelvin.


	2. The Kelvin

* * *

Leonard remembers. He was young when it happened, not even six years old but he remembers seeing all the screens in the household filled with images of what was left of the giant starship.

When he got a little older, he found out that the starship was attacked by an unknown vessel lightyears from any planets with intelligent life forms. The mysterious ship vanished as quickly as it had appeared and no sign of it had been seen since. All he knew then was that his mother was drying her tears in the other room while his father stared with steel eyes at the live stream.

There had been an accident up in space, people had died. For weeks all everybody talked about how Captain Kirk saved over 800 lives, loosing his own in the process. Pictures of him and a tiny blue eyed infant were plastered everywhere. James T. Kirk, the Kelvin baby, born amongst the death of the terrible event.

Years later he wouldn't recall who the man sitting next to him in the Riverside shuttle reminded him of. Blue eyes and blond hair wasn't exactly rare, neither was the surname Kirk and, of course, the names James became popular in the years after the Kelvin. All he cared about was not dying on that damned shuttle.

The incident happened a few months before Leonard's sixth birthday and the child couldn't comprehend the extent of what happened. None the less the memories of event stayed with him for the rest of his life, the images of carnaged metal and sobbing loved ones etched into his mind. The Kelvin was a large part of why Len grew to fear flying contraptions. Jim Kirk had an impact on Leonard McCoy's life before they even met.


	3. Riverside, Iowa Part I

If five years ago, someone told Leonard that he was going to end up in some random bar in Iowa having already drank for six days straight because of the death of his father followed shortly by the betrayal of his wife, both due to the fact that he couldn't be the doctor, son, or husband he was supposed to be, he would have told them to fuck off. Here he was, though, alone in a crowded bar with his fifth glass of bourbon.

He was sitting in some dark corner while the bar happily flourished with activity. He'd been there for a good three hours, avoiding being in any conversion which wasn't that difficult because if anybody even made eye contact he'd glare a damn hole in them then turn away. Apparently it wasn't enough because a few people still tried to talk to him. Two women with flirty smiles and and provacative glances, one in a starfleet uniform, and a man with blue eyes that seemed to glow even in the dim light. Mona was the first woman, beating a bartender to where he had sat down.

"Hey there," she smiled as she walked over, drink in her hand. "I'm Mona." She took a seat infront of Len, ignoring the glare as she did so. "I don't think I know you. You aren't from around here, right?" McCoy sighed. 

"No, ma'am." She smiled leaning over the table. 

"How about I sit here and we can talk for awhile so we can get to know each other." Leonard leaned away. 

"I'd rather not," he grumbled. "Thank you." Mona scoffed and stood.

"Whatever," she spit, not even giving Len a second look. He didn't care. The second woman was younger and shy.

"Hi," she grinned. McCoy looked up at the girl, thats what she really was, she couldn't have been over 24. "My names Linsey and..." Len almost felt bad about being curt with this one. 

"Excuse me," he interrupted and she stopped short. "Sorry, sweetie, but I ain't interested." She nodded quickly, jaw tight like she'd expected the rejection. "Why don't you go talk to those boys over there," he gestured to a group of men next to a couple if pool table, one of which flushes and looked away as Lindsey turned that way. She smiled and blushed herself.

"Thanks." He nodded and she scurried back to a group of friends, beginning to point at the boy at the pool table. And then, lastly, the man. He came late in the night, already drunk with a stupid little cocky smirked plastered on his face. He wore a leather jacket and tight clothing, standing like he thought everyone wanted a piece if him. 

"Hey, you're hot." Leonard could have laughed at how quickly that came out of the other man's mouth if he wasn't in such a foul mood. "You want to get out of here?" McCoy raised a brow.

"Are you serious?" 

"Absolutely," the blond man grinned. 

"What makes you think I'd even look twice at you, kid?" He smiled and shrugged, taking a seat. 

"Most people do. I saw you turn away those two women. At first I though maybe you were just into men but you looked at them, I mean really looked at them so that couldn't be it." The guy gave this self-assured smile and glanced up at Len from underneath his lashes and he sure wasn't thinking about women in that moment. "You've been drinking all night, avoiding people like they have a plague so my next thought was that you had a fight with your significant other. Then I saw the tan line on your finger. You were married." It wasn't a question and McCoy took a drink from his cup. "How long has it been?" Leonard wasn't sure why he answered. 

"Not even two weeks." The kid grimanced. 

"I'm sorry." 

"Had nothing to do with you, kid." He had to look away from the intensity of his stare. 

"I figured I could come over and help take your mind off . . .things." His cocky smirk came back with vengence and Len gave a dry chuckle. 

"Thanks for the offer kid, but I'm gonna have to decline." The blond man laughed and nodded. 

"Of course I get the southern gentleman." Leonard laughed for the first time in a long time. "Okay then." He stood. "I'm off to prowl else where on some poor unsuspecting person." Len smiled. 

"I wish you luck." 

"You'd better," he gave Len a breath taking wink and sauntered over to the bar. McCoy stared after him before returning back to his bourbon. That kid was something else. McCoy could have left the bar then. He could have not stayed to watch the mysterious man and his future would have turned out completely different, just because of that man with the cocky smirk and intense blue eyes.


	4. Riverside, Iowa Pt. II

Mr. Blue Eyes was quite the flirt, winking and smirking at everyone. And just about everyone was happy to return these heated looks. He sat at the bar and ordered a beer. He seemed to be content for a moment, happy to just sit there and be drunk, until a beautiful cadet walked by and sat two stools down from him. He struck up a conversation and went around the alien inbetween them to stand by her. Leonard could see how uninterested the lady was from where he sat but Mr. Blue Eyes was determined to get at least a positive response. 

He got it. A sweet laugh and smile from the beautiful woman. He appeared thrilled by the new outcome and pressed for more but she was definitly not giving anymore then she already had. Some big guy, also in cadet reds, came up and barked some words at them. Both the man and woman waved him off but the big guy seemed to have taken a quick dislike to Blue Eyes.

Very quickly words were exchanged between both men and they ended up chest to chest. McCoy couldn't hear the words being stated but just as quickly as the words began, the fists began to fly as well. Four to one. And yet Blue Eyes held his own, throwing out as many punches and his that were being delivered, for a little while at least. Soon though, the numbers came through and before anybody could do anything, Blue was thrown on his back, appendages hanging limp over the sides. 

A loud whistle broke through the chaos and everyone in the bar turned to see a man standing in the doorway, starfleet uniform oddly colored due to the bars lighting. He barked orders for everyone to get out of the bar. McCoy didnt stand until the place was nearly empty, then he walked over to the now Mr. Unconscious. 

"What are you doing there?" 

"I'm a doctor, sir. Trying to make sure this genius doesn't have a broken rib or anything." 

"You have a name?" 

"I'd assume most people do." The officer frowned momentarily. "Its Leonard McCoy." 

"McCoy? I've heard of you. An amazing physician, an even better surgeon." Len shrugged. 

"Help me get him off the table so the moron doesn't drown in his own blood." Slowly, both men lowly the injured man to the floor. 

"Whats a great Georgian doctor doing in some random bar in Iowa?" 

"Just got out of a nasty divorce. I have nearly nothing to my name. No job. No money," Leonard spewed bitterly. 

"Sorry to hear that." Len gave a quick nod as he continued checking for any serious injures. Besides a bloody nose and a few bruises, he found none. "But if you'd want to, there's always Starfleet." McCoy gaped. 

"You can't be serious, sir." 

"Its Admiral Pike and I'm dead serious, McCoy. If you want in, I can get you in in a heartbeat." 

"I don't know what to say." 

"Well you have until tomorrow morning at 0800 when the shuttle for incoming recrutes takes off to make a choice." 

"A shuttle," Len asked with a gulp. 

"Thats not going to be a problem, is it?" McCoy gave an unsure look as he stood from his knealing postion next to Bluey on the floor. "Well, I'll tell you can be a CMO as soon as you get on a ship. There are an innumerable amount of benefits to being in starfleet, all you have to do is get over that fear."

"He's alright, just alittle bloody." Pike nodded. He looked over to the single bartender who seated behind the counter still. 

"I'll get my cadets to clean this up and pay for any damages." 

"It's fine. Jim will help me, he always does. This isn't the first fight he's gotten into trouble here," he gave a curt grin. 

"Jim?" 

"Yeah. The guy on the floor. James T. Kirk." 

"Kirk," Pike mumbled under his breath. He looked down at Blue Eyes (Jim) for a long time. "Well shit. George's son." 

"George Kirk," McCoy asked. "As in the Kelvin?" Jim stirred beneath them.

"Yeah and this is his son. Reminds me of his father," he murmured, almost to himself.


	5. Shuttle Ride Part I

Jim came to as McCoy walked out the door. The doctor had a lot to think about. This was a chance to get back on top and start practicing medicine again. He hadn't stepped inside of a hospital in nearly two months. If he wanted to have some resemblense of life was like before the divorce needed to be a doctor again. The only problem was space. Could he deal with flying, being inside those giang death traps? Len sighed and took a swig from his flask. Beggers couldn't be choosers.

The man spent the rest of the night (early morning?) in his motel room, scraping together his few belongings. He continued to drink, knowing he wouldn't be able to step foot on a shuttle sober. At 7:45 he went down to where the shuttle was but didn't step on until five minutes before they were set to take off. When he finally did get on, he headed straight for the restroom where there were no windows and he could pretend he was somewhere else. 

His plan would have worked too, if a stewardess didn't pull him out of the safety of the enclosed room and into the main seating area where windows were at regular intervals on the walls. He's not proud of it but he cursed in front and at a woman but for the love of God, he really did not want to be there. At last he took a seat next to a beat up kid. Really, he barely took a glance at him because he could feel his heart pumping and his stomach churning. He did all he could to not focus on the fact that he was flying. Brilliantly, all his brain could filter were reasons why flying was dangerous and bits on his painful divorce. The kid, same one from the bar actually, didn't completely ignore Len's mad rave. He commented, cautiously, and even accepted the flask that was offered to him, followed shortly by a name. 

"Name's McCoy, Leonard McCoy." 

"Jim Kirk," the other man offered and took a drink from the flask. Of course, Len already knew that but hewas willing to make a conversation out of anything. 

"The hell happened to your face, or are you always that ugly?" Jim laughed and handed the flask back. 

"Well you saw me last night without the bruises, you tell me." 

"So special occasions only," McCoy nodded. Jim grinned again. 

"I guess so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its kind of short but I'll update again soon.


End file.
